An aviation icon has touched down for one final Canadian visit. The world's only operating supersonic airliner -- the British Airways Concorde -- has begun its North American farewell tour at Pearson International Airport.

With little more than three weeks before British Airways retires its supersonic service, the needle-nosed airliner is spending one last night at Toronto's international airport Wednesday.

"It's sad. It's the end of an era and on October 5th it will be gone forever and then the only place you can see them is in various museums," aviation historian Brian Dunn told CFTO News.

One man travelled from Salt Lake City with his 10-year-old nephew to keep his promise that they would fly on the Concorde. Their flight will head off to New York City on Thursday evening.

When the Concorde arrived in Toronto from London, England, its fewer than 60 passengers were able to claim their place among the last to enjoy the luxurious transatlantic service.

They could also boast of the fact, because of the time zone change -- they actually arrived an hour before they left.

Of course, such speed comes at a price. And even though the $6,499 to $8,999 US price tag for a berth put the experience out of reach for most -- there are many who didn't hesitate to seize the chance for a transatlantic crossing at 2,200 km/h.

Tickets for the flight sold out in 45 minutes.

Since its inaugural commercial flight in 1976, Concordes have made more than 50,000 trips, hundreds of which touched down at Pearson. That's enough to create a bond that merits giving the city one last chance to say goodbye, according to British Airways.

But eager enthusiasts won't be able to get up close and personal during Concorde's stay in Toronto. Instead, plane spotters will have to look skyward as the plane takes off for New York Thursday evening.

The Concorde will make similar visits to Boston and Washington, D.C. Then, British Airways will jet passengers on a final Concorde flight between New York and London on October 23.

The only other airline to fly Concordes, Air France, retired its fleet earlier this year.

Sagging demand for the high-end service, soaring maintenance costs and the prospect of losing its air worthiness certification prompted the airlines to pull the supersonic planes from service.

The product of a joint British and French effort, the Concorde prototype was unveiled in 1967. Two years later, the jet recorded its first supersonic flight. Although it has recently been marred by a spotty service record, the Concorde proved a reliable airliner over close to 30 years of service.

The plane's only fatal crash occurred in July 2000, when an Air France Concorde ran over a metal shard while taking off from Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport. The debris punctured a wheel and tore into the jet's fuel tanks -- precipitating a crash shortly after take off that killed all 113 people aboard.

With a report from CFTO's Tom Hayes